Agricultural damage from the combined effects of the southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Crising, Dante, and Emong has breached the P2 billion mark, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said in an advisory on Monday.
Losses have so far reached P2.34 billion, affecting 74,895 farmers and fisherfolk and damaging 71,958 hectares of farmland. Production losses are estimated at 53,356 metric tons (MT), although the DA noted that these figures are still subject to validation.
Rice accounted for the bulk of the losses at P1.27 billion across 67,692 hectares, or 40,333 MT—equivalent to 0.20 percent of the full-year production target of 20.46 million MT.
Corn losses amounted to P83.44 million from 2,209 hectares, with 3,180 MT lost, or 0.04 percent of the annual production target of 8.46 million MT.
"Further damage and losses are expected in affected regions as assessment and validation is ongoing," the DA said.
The DA said regional offices are also conducting field validation and coordinating with local governments and disaster agencies to monitor impacts such as road obstructions and flooding.
To support recovery efforts, the DA has made P653 million worth of agricultural inputs available through its regional field offices and released 43,940 bags of rice from the National Food Authority for distribution.
Other interventions include the activation of the Quick Response Fund, P400 million in zero-interest loans under the Agricultural Credit Policy Council’s Survival and Recovery Program, and an initial P268 million in indemnification for 45,980 insured farmers through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp.
Currently, a price ceiling on agricultural commodities is still in effect in areas under a state of calamity, as mandated by the Price Act.